From left: Peter
Alfonso, manager of the Memphis wastewater treatment plant, and Carmen
Ledbetter and Angela Hamlin of Green Power Switch examine the plants
covered lagoon, where methane is captured.

The city of Memphis
and TVAs Allen Fossil Plant are working together to provide as much
as four megawatts of output for Green Power Switch per month. The City of
Memphis Wastewater Treatment Plant produces a methane by-product that is
used as fuel at the neighboring TVA fossil plant.

Landfill gas, which
consists mainly of methane and carbon dioxide, is produced when organic
wastes in landfill sites decay. The gas at the wastewater facility, as
in all landfills over a certain size, must be burned, or flared, in order
to reduce the hazard arising from gas buildup. The plants lagoon
was covered to capture the methane, which provides fuel for powering cleaner
electricity generation.

Memphis is
proud to put our methane to good use for green energy production,
says Peter Alfonso, manager of the Memphis wastewater treatment facility.

Whats
the driving force behind Green Power Switch?Windy, the official car of Green Power Switch, is one
of just 100,000 Toyota Prius vehicles on the road worldwide. The hybrid
sedans advanced technology combines a gas engine with an electric
motor to create an environmentally sound, fuel-efficient automobile.

Windy, as the car was dubbed
by the Green Power Switch staff, has logged more than 8,000 miles traveling
across the Tennessee Valley promoting the renewable energy program.

The Prius gets 52 miles per
gallon and is so clean-burning that it has been certified as a Super Ultra
Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV). Still, it has all the practicality of a
regular car. For more information about the Toyota Prius, please visit
the Toyota
Web site.